What Happens to Body after Stopping Dialysis

If patients’ kidney disease aggravates into end stage, patients may be suggested to accept dialysis. However, some patients try to stop dialysis. What happens to the body after stopping dialysis treatment?

- Fluid collection

The main dialysis function is to remove excessive fluid from the body, because kidneys are unable to eliminate fluid out of the body. When patients stop dialysis, the extra fluid will collect in the body. In severe cases, fluid will accumulate in the lungs, resulting in pulmonary edema, shortness of breath and difficult breathing.

- High blood pressure

As extra fluid accumulates in the blood vessels, pressure against blood vessels will increase. If uncontrolled effectively, high blood pressure will worsen kidney condition and attack patients’ heart easily. Then, patients may be bothered by cardiovascular disorders, which are the leading cause of death for kidney failure patients.

- Nausea and vomiting

In addition to fluid, waste products and toxins are also excreted by kidneys. As kidney failure patients stop dialysis, these harmful substances will build up in the body including gastrointestinal tract. In this condition, patients may present nausea and vomiting.

- Poor appetite

Poor appetite is another cause of gastrointestinal tract. This makes patients unable to get enough nutrition from their diet plan. In order to improve patients’ overall health condition, patients should get enough nutrition from their diet plan.

- Hyperkalemia

Because potassium will collect in the body after stopping dialysis, patients will be at a high risk of hyperkalemia. If patients have this problem, they will have irregular heartbeat, nausea, skin itching, and so on.

From the above analysis, we can know patients will have various health problems some of which may even threaten patients’ life, if they stop their dialysis treatments without other alternative therapies. Therefore, patients had better improve their kidney function before stopping dialysis.